TC ELECTRONIC C300
Owner's Manual

C300 PROCESSING
Compression
The very basis of compression can be reduced to �controlling the dynamic content� of a audio signal. This basically means turning down the loudest parts of the source material and raising the volume of the parts with low level content. But how this is done and how this is applied in audio production is slightly more elaborate. Keep an eye on the illustration below and let us look at the basic compression parameters: The Threshold parameter - sets the limit where the compressor kicks in/releases it�s grip of the signal. As soon as the level is above the set threshold the compressor is active. When below - it is not. The Ratio - sets the amount of gain reduction applied when the signal exceeds the threshold. In the illustration below the Ratio is the steepness of the curve after the compressor threshold. The Attack time - is the time it takes for the compressor to reach the compression amount specified by the set ratio. The Release time - is the time it takes for the compressor to release the signal after the input signal is below the threshold point again. How each of these parameters are set is very important and only the correct combination gives the desired result. The C300 programs assist you greatly in that respect as each program has preprogrammed attack and release times. Makeup gain - is a common control on compressors. As reducing/controlling the loudest parts of the signal attenuates the signal it is most often necessary to increase the overall output volume. Thereby the elements with lowest dynamic content are enhanced. The Limiter - the Limiter is actually yet another compressor. It uses a very fast attack time and has a ratio of 1; infinity. But why is the Limiter necessary?

17